Hula Wish best local hope on wet track

Spring rains are persisting and should the Awapuni track be heavy tomorrow two Wairarapa mudders could bring home a share of the prizemoney from the Feilding Jockey Club's meeting.

Hula Wish needs it wet to show her best and given the right conditions could make her presence felt in the fourth race.

In fact, the stats show Hula Wish has finished in the money in roughly half her starts on heavy tracks and went a fair race for trainer Don Fuge at Woodville last week, finishing fifth in a 14-horse field.

George Neil would also have greatly improved chances in race five if the going is heavy.

The wetter the better for him so it seems, and the 7-year-old son of Istidaad cannot be counted out although the line-up is quite strong and peppered with others that prefer the sting out of the ground, like Abstain, Wotabuzz and Caught Out.

George Neil ran a bold front-running race at Trentham last Saturday and although well beaten by the eventual winner would have pleased trainer James Phillips with the gutsy effort.

Aside from the two Tauherenikau entrants, Wairarapa is lightly represented at the meeting with Woodville trainer Shane Brown lining up an interesting runner in the opening event.

Our Delight has unfortunately drawn wide in the maiden over 1300m but again has the services of Jason Waddell, who was aboard the mare at her debut when she finished fifth of 14 after being slow out of the gates, at this track on September 28.

Of those with a Wairarapa connection, the best bet would seem to be the talented wet tracker Nuits St Georges from the Jeff Lynds stable.

Owned by Martinborough winemakers Ian and Alana Smart, the 5-year-old gelding has been lightly raced having had only eight starts, winning one and finishing runner-up on three occasions.

He likes it wet, has a perfect draw at 6 and with luck in the running and Noel Harris on top could easily take out race seven, a Rating 70 over 1600m - his favourite distance.

The feature event is the listed Feilding Gold Cup and, although there is no Wairarapa interests involved, it could fall to either the topweight Herman Munster or the lightly weighted Awapuni-trained gelding Rising Tide.

The latter has really hit his straps of late winning two races back-to-back at Trentham and although this is a step up for him he is well weighted, well drawn, has won two from two over the distance and is ready to put in a good performance.

Herman Munster has form jockey Lisa Allpress aboard and is never far from the money.